Genetics, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 28, 2021

Ancestry DNA kit deals 2022: Learn about your origins

Any journey of discovery and learning can be fun, but little can match unlocking the secrets of your own family with a DNA test kit, and AncestryDNA has one of the best around. These Ancestry DNA kit deals bring great discounts on several kits. For instance, Amazon is selling the...

Dec 9, 2021

How often you poop may be (partly) written in your genes

Genes passed down by your parents may influence how often you poop, a new study suggests, and these key pooping genes may hold clues as to what causes poorly-understood gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That said, the new research comes with a number of caveats, said Dr....

Dec 9, 2021

Here's the secret to how 'immortal' hydras regrow severed heads

Tiny aquatic animals called hydras can regrow lost heads, and scientists now have a clearer idea of how these freshwater invertebrates do it. A hydra's body is fairly simple: It's a tubelike cylinder tipped with a grasping footlike appendage at one end and a tentacle-ringed mouth at the other. But...

Jan 14, 2022

New study provides first evidence of non-random mutations in DNA

Genetic changes that crop up in an organism's DNA may not be completely random, new research suggests. That would upend one of the key assumptions of the theory of evolution. Researchers studying the genetic mutations in a common roadside weed, thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), have discovered that the plant can...

Feb 2, 2022

What is biology?

Biology is the study of life. The word biology is derived from the Greek words bios (meaning life) and logos (meaning study). In general, biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution and distribution of living organisms. Biology is important because it helps us understand how living things work and...

Feb 3, 2022

Super sensitive to B.O.? Maybe blame your genes

Genes may partly determine how strongly you smell the noxious aroma of a stinky armpit, new research shows. Similarly, your genetics influence how you perceive the smell of galaxolide, a woody synthetic musk used in fragrances and cleaning products, according to a new study, published Thursday (Feb. 3) in the...

Feb 25, 2022

Chromosomes: Facts about our genetic storerooms

Chromosomes are defined as thread-like structures of deoxyribonucleic acid DNA that carry hereditary information for everything from height to eye color. They are found in the nucleus of a cell and help ensure DNA is replicated and divided evenly during cell division, according to genomics website Healio.com. Chromosomes consist of...

Mar 23, 2022

Plastic-eating bacteria: Genetic engineering and environmental impact

Plastic-eating bacteria could help to one day tackle some of the 14 million tons of plastic that is offloaded into our oceans every year. Plastic pollution leads to severe impact on marine ecosystems and can affect human health. For example, once plastic enters the ocean it can suffocate and entangle...

Mar 24, 2022

'Informational simplicity' may explain why nature favors symmetry

In biology, symmetry is typically the rule rather than the exception. Our bodies have left and right halves, starfish radiate from a central point and even trees, though not largely symmetrical, still produce symmetrical flowers. In fact, asymmetry in biology seems quite rare by comparison. Does this mean that evolution...

Mar 31, 2022

1st 'gapless' human genome finally sequenced

Scientists have finally mapped an entire human genome, nearly two decades after researchers first announced that they had sequenced the majority of the roughly 3 billion letters contained in human DNA. Though the Human Genome Project was hailed worldwide when it was completed in 2003, at the time, many sections...

Apr 26, 2022

Ticking time bombs of DNA mutation may dictate when animals die

Animals carry mutational clocks in their cells that dictate how quickly their DNA picks up mutations. And across species, animals tend to die once they've hit a certain number of mutations, new research finds. It turns out that, in long-lived mammals like humans, these mutational clocks tick slower than they...

Jun 15, 2022

One in 500 men may carry an extra sex chromosome (most without knowing it)

As many as one in 500 men may carry an extra sex chromosome — either an X or a Y — but very few of them likely know about it, a new study suggests. The research, published June 9 in the journal Genetics in Medicine, included data from more than...

Jul 15, 2022

Prime Day deals on DNA kits: Here's what these genetic tests might tell you

Curious about your ancestry, or wondering if you might be sensitive to certain foods? Amazon Prime Day might be over for another year, but you can still enjoy savings on best-selling DNA kits, helping you to find answers. DNA kits usually require you to swab your cheek or spit into...

Aug 26, 2022

Your doppelgänger doesn’t just look like you — they behave like you too

Somewhere out there, there's probably a person who has your face. And this unrelated look-alike may have more in common with you than appearances, a new study suggests. The surprising research, based on 32 pairs of unrelated doppelgängers from around the world, shows that two people who have a strong...

Aug 30, 2022

Extinct Denisovan Woman Gets Her First Portrait Thanks to DNA from Her Pinky Bone

As recently as 15,000 years ago, humans shared their caves with another group of upright apes called the Denisovans. The two hominins were genetically distinct, splitting from their nearest common ancestor more than 500,000 years earlier, but they were physically close. Humans and Denisovans mated — probably a lot —...